Impact des attentats du 13 novembre 2015 sur les enfants des civils exposés et sur les relations parents–enfants

Introduction

Santé publique France carried out a web-based epidemiological survey (ESPA 13 Novembre) between 8 and 12 months after the terrorist attacks of the 13 November 2015. This was done in order to explore the post-traumatic psychological impact of the attacks on the directly exposed civilians and responders as well as their use of healthcare services. The survey took the form of a series of closed-ended questions as well as several open-ended questions. We present here an analysis of the responses of civilians to the following specific question: “If you have children, can you tell us whether you think the experience you went through had an effect on them, or on your relationship with them? Can you explain?”.

Objective

To find out about the impact of the attacks on the children of exposed civilians and on parent–child relationships, something that has never been studied in the context of mass attacks.

Method

We carried out a thematic analysis of civilians’ responses to this specific question, building up general themes by data reduction.

Results

The analyses revealed four main themes which relate to the impact of the exposure to terrorist attacks on parent-child relationships, the changes experienced in their role as parents, their children's reactions and, finally, the ways in which they tried to protect their children.

Discussion

The parents highlighted the psychological changes that operated in them, their unease, their fear of the outside world, and their concern for their children's safety. They discussed the consequences of the attacks on their children in terms of stress, insecurity, psychological disturbances, and even of the emergence of real disorders. The parents have tried to fulfil their protective role in a variety of ways, sometimes with a feeling of powerlessness reinforced for some by the difficulty of finding suitable care spaces. Attachment bonds have, for the most part, tightened in these families demonstrating their reassuring function within the group. It seems essential to care for children, and the family as a whole, alongside their parents, in order to re-establish secure attachment bonds which are a factor in resilience.